Halloween and Conferences This Week

Halloween will be celebrated in our class on Monday. Students may wear their costumes. Please be aware that no masks, weapons, or facsimiles of weapons are allowed. Unfortunately there is no parade for parents to come to. There is not the parking or space available to permit that. However, the PTA organizes a wonderful carnival that is full of fun, games, and treats for the students. Each class spends approx. 40 minutes there. Parents are able to come and help with that and enjoy the fun. Thank you to all the volunteers who help with that.
Also, this week, we will be holding Parent/Teacher Conferences. Confirmation letters were sent home on Thursday. If you were unable to sign up for a time, one has been assigned to you. Check your child's backpack for the letter. If you are unable to find it, or need to find another time, please let me know. I look forward to meeting with parents and students to celebrate the progress each child is making.
Just a reminder that there will be no school on Friday, Nov. 4th due to conference recess day.

Conferences Are Coming!

This week a blue letter was sent home to parents giving instructions for registering online for parent/teacher conferences. This is the first time our school has done this. And although, it is exciting, there are always bugs to be worked out. I am going to try and clarify some of the questions. In order to register, go to the Butler Elem. website. In the top, right corner you will see a  button for "Online Scheduler". Click on that. Choose the correct school, etc. and when it asks for a password use "bobcats". You will then be able to choose the teacher(s) that you need to schedule with and see what times/days are available. Choose the day/time that suits your schedule and save/submit. You should be done. Please contact the school if you are unable to complete the process. Because I have two classes, I have a lot more parents scheduling conferences than a regular teacher. In order to get them all in, I have to hold conferences on Wednesday night (Nov. 2nd) and all day Thursday (Nov. 3rd). The bulk of my conferences will be on Thursday. Our Kindergarten assistant will be in charge of the class during class time, while I meet with parents and students in the Library. Please bring your student with you to the conference. I am really looking forward to meeting with each student and their parents to discuss the progress they are making.
Just a little side note. I will be out of town next week (Oct. 17th - 19th) and will be unable to answer any e-mails, etc. until I return Oct. 24th.   Thank you!

Changes

The change in weather has really brought out some interesting behavior. We have had several children out sick this week as we have acclimated to colder weather. Please help your child to remember to dress appropriately for the weather. We will also be continuing our good hygiene practices. If the weather is stormy (rain or snow) or extremely cold when students arrive at school, they may come inside before the bell rings, but need to maintain quiet manners.
Just a reminder about the Reflections contest that is sponsored by the PTA. Information papers have been sent home previously with a reminder sent home today (orange note). If you have questions or need additional information please contact Stephanie Kelly (stephikelly@gmail.com) or Annetta Hessenthaler (annettahess@yahoo.com). Entries are due Oct. 24th.
Parent/Teacher conferences will be held Nov. 2nd and 3rd. The school is trying online registration this year. Information will be sent home next week with the details of how you can schedule an appointment.
Many parents have expressed an interest in helping with the Halloween Carnival. I have included our Room Mothers information so that you can contact them directly if you would like.
AM class - Rachel Miller (801-889-5391)  jakeleemiller@gmail.com
PM class - Marcie Ison (801-733-9272)  Marciejane.ison@gmail.com
The excitement is already building for Halloween and will just keep going until Christmas. Here we go!

Volunteers

Thank you for all those who have offered to volunteer in our class. Volunteers really do make a difference by giving a better adult to student ratio, as well as an extra set of hands. Now that we have our first month of school under our belt, we are ready to move forward. If there are any who are interested in helping in our classroom for the month of October, please check the schedule below and then e-mail me @ lani.heldt@canyonsdistrict.org and let me know which day is best for you. We need 1 -2 volunteers for each of the days listed below. I will send you a confirmation e-mail. Please remember that all volunteers must be registered with Canyons School District. You can do this online by going to the Canyons School District website. Or you can ask to do it in the office when you come to help. Just come a few minutes early.

October Volunteer Schedule – Mrs. Heldt’s Classes

AM Class:

Tues, Oct. 4^th   10 – 11 a.m.

Wed., Oct. 5^th   10 – 11 a.m.

Thurs., Oct. 6^th  10 -11 a.m.

Tues., Oct. 11^th   10 – 11 a.m.

Wed., Oct. 12^th   10 – 11 a.m.

Tues., Oct. 25^th  10 – 11 a.m.

Wed., Oct. 26^th   10 – 11 a.m.

PM Class:

 Tues., Oct. 4^th   1 – 2 p.m.

Wed., Oct. 5^th   1 – 2  p.m.

Thurs., Oct. 6^th  1 – 2 p.m.

Tues., Oct. 11^th   1 – 2 p.m.

Wed., Oct. 12^th   1 – 2 p.m.

Tues., Oct. 25^th  1 – 2 p.m.

Wed., Oct. 26^th  1 – 2 p.m.

Butler Bobcat T-shirts

New school t-shirts were sent home with students today. I encouraged the students to wear them home so that parents would immediately see them. Hopefully, they all made it. These shirts are to encourage school spirit by wearing them on Fridays or other days indicated by the teacher. One little girl said she was going to wear it every day she loved it so much!

Thank You Parents and Students!

Thank you for all the wonderful donations of supplies. Your generosity has been overwhelming. We have a wonderful stockpile of so many items that are not able to be ordered from the district warehouse. THANK YOU, again! Also, this week, we sent home our first homework assignment on Wed. That is the day it will be sent home each week. It is a one page paper that is labeled at the top..."Homework for week of ...". This week's assignment involved the class rules we have been developing in class. Students were to draw a picture for each rule, sign the promise at the bottom, and return the homework to class. We keep track of returned homework by putting a sticker on our "Homework Chart". Students are able to choose a prize when 10 assignments have been returned. The intent is to develop a good habit that will continue through their school career. I do not set a deadline for homework to be returned, but will accept it whenever it comes. I design the homework each week to cover the topics we are currently studying in class, so that parents can be aware and hopefully enhance any of those topics. I try to keep it open-ended so that it can be accomplished at whatever level the student is at. If they need a lot of support, feel free to assist them as you feel is appropriate. If they are very independent, let them work on their own. Although homework is important, we don't want it to be a huge battle ground. Again, if you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

First Week of Kindergarten

We have successfully completed our first week of Kindergarten!!! There is so much to learn about classroom procedures and school rules. It will be an ongoing process all year. On Friday, we celebrated the Canyons School District College Ready Day. This celebration is to help students and parents realize that our goal is for each child to be college ready upon graduation from high school in Canyons District,whether they choose that path or not. And that path begins  in Kindergarten. We have pictures to post, but due to the numerous "opt out" media releases that were signed I can't publish those pictures until we have somehow edited out the students whose parents do not want their pictures posted. If I accidentally publish your child's picture and you have signed one of those releases, please inform me immediately. Thank you!